A Meeting With The Landmarks Preservation Commission

In the previous article, “,” we discussed some of the key architectural developers and movements surrounding Brooklyn’s first real estate boom, starting with the Neo-Grec style of 1860 and ending with the Beaux Arts style (White Cities Movement) of 1893.

In 1910, the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White were continuing in the Beaux Arts style when they constructed Pennsylvania Station in midtown Manhattan. The original underground railroad station was an outstanding masterpiece, one of the grandest architectural jewels of New York City.

However, the station's air rights were optioned in the 1950s, and the building’s demolition was executed and completed fifteen years later, making way for what is now Madison Square Garden.

The demolition of the original structure — although considered by some to be justified as progressive at a time of declining rail passenger service — created international outrage. The New York Times lamented: “Until the first blow fell, no one was convinced that Penn Station really would be demolished, or that New York would permit this monumental act of vandalism against one of the largest and finest landmarks of its age of Roman elegance.^”

"At that time, Penn Station was considered old and run down, and in the 1950s, everything was about modern, sleek and suburban. And so we just turned on it," said Morgan Munsey, architectural historian and researcher for the Bedford-Stuyvesant Society for Historical Preservation.

"But once the old voices realized that Penn Station had memories, where they met their wife for the first time, had their first kiss, they had future shock, like, 'Oh no, we just burned up our photo albums, and now we have nothing to remember it by.'"

Events like the demolition of the architecturally distinguished Pennsylvania Station in 1963 left a deep and lasting wound in the architectural consciousness of the city, consequently, increasing public awareness of the need to protect the city's future architectural, historical and cultural heritage.

In fact, Pennsylvania Station's demolition is considered to have been the catalyst for the enactment of the city's first landmarks preservation laws, eventually paving the way for the creation of The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 1965.

Today, LPC is New York City's sole agency responsible for identifying and designating the landmarks in the city's historic districts and regulating changes to designated buildings.

But “not every neighborhood or building rises to the level of historic designation,” said Kate Daly, LPC’s executive director.

In the last 45 years, LPC has surveyed just about every neighborhood in New York City. So even before a neighborhood submits a request for evaluation to LPC, the Commission’s team of surveyors usually is well acquainted with the district’s stripes and attributes.

Daly said, if LPC believes strongly that an area is architecturally and historically significant, they try to work with a neighborhood's own landmarking groups who often consult with the Historic Districts Council to facilitate the process.

1993 was the last time LPC looked seriously at Bedford-Stuyvesant for historic designation. At that time, a fair amount of signatures were gathered, and evaluation was nearly complete for the Stuyvesant Heights expansion. There was a lot of testimony that was opposed to the extension as proposed, and there was not enough consensus on where the lines should be drawn, she said. So, LPC walked away.

As another wave of development sweeps through Bed-Stuy, the move to landmark certain areas has been revitalized and is targeting four districts: Bedford Corners, The Stuyvesant Heights Extension, Stuyvesant East, and Stuyvesant North, encompassing more than 60 blocks.

Bed-Stuy’s coalition of block associations, the community board and other landmarks committees started a door-to-door petition campaign, speaking directly to approximately 300 homeowners. Stuyvesant East held two community forums in the spring of 2010 and the community board has held several forums over the past two years.

On Wednesday, February 16^th at Restoration Plaza, 6:00 pm, LPC will host a community meeting with Bed-Stuy’s landmark coalition and its residents – an important event in the renewed effort to get the proposed districts in Bedford-Stuyvesant finally landmarked.

“Bed-Stuy is one of the borough’s most beautiful neighborhoods,” said Daly. “We’ve had some great meetings with representatives from different block associations and neighborhood groups, and Councilman Vann is always so supportive. And so all of that contributes to the feeling it should be a priority for us.”

Again, LPC will look closely at the extent of overall community consensus.

The Bedford-Stuyvesant Society for Historic Preservation has a page online where residents can sign a petition, send an electronic postcard and download a letter to mail to LPC requesting that their area be considered for historic designation, with the goal of at least 200 postcards emailed by homeowners in time for the Wednesday meeting.

“I would say that it’s not really postcard campaigns that dictate our priorities,” said Daly. “It’s more important that the Commission sees that local council members, residents and community leaders are united in support for historic designation.”

"I hope people don't think, 'oh I don't need to go out to that meeting,' and that the next neighbor will go," said Munsey, whose family has more than 80 years of ties to Bed-Stuy. "If we sleep on this, it could be like another Penn Station. I can't go back to the old Penn Station and see how beautiful it used to be. Now, I have to look online."

"Our future generations should be able to go away for years and come back and see that their neighborhood has not changed."

But still, Munsey says he is hopeful about the community's participation this time around. The coalition also is hopeful. And LPC is hopeful.

“I think that Bed-Stuy is a priority for the Commission this time, so we want to make sure that we are in partnership with the residents and elected officials and community so that we can move forward,” said Daly.

This is the final installment in a 5-part series that looks at the process of land marking, from community organizing, to what to look for in a designation, to how to navigate within the various agencies.

," FEBRUARY 6, 2011